Waltey
Gusar
162 The Buccaneer
Myths and Legends of Our Own Land · Charles M. SkinnerO besedilu
Gusar
- Vir
- Myths and Legends of Our Own Land
- Avtor
- Charles M. Skinner
- Jezik branja
- Slovenščina
- Jezik izvirnika
- English
- Čas branja
- 4 min branja
- Obseg
- 3 strani
- Naslov izvirnika
- 162 The Buccaneer
O izvirniku
Myths and Legends of Our Own Land
Obsežna zgodovinska zbirka ameriških legend, ki jih je Skinner zbral in avtorsko rekonstruiral. Bralni jezik je Slovenščina, izvirnik pa prihaja iz vira Myths and Legends of Our Own Land v jeziku English.
Besedilo
Gusar
Med domačini otoka Block Island je bil mož po imenu Lee. Rodil se je v prejšnjem stoletju med ribiči in roparji brodolomov, zato si je povsem naravno poiskal zaslužek na morju; ker pa nikoli ni bil deležen izobrazbe in omike, je grob in oblasten. Njegova ladja leži v španskem pristanišču, kjer jo pripravljajo za plovbo, vendar je ne natovarjajo z blagom: Lee se je naveličal miroljubnega trgovanja in jo zdaj opremlja za korsarstvo. Neka španska gospa, ki ji je pravkar umrl mož, pride k njemu in ga prosi za prevoz v Ameriko, saj niti ne sluti njegovih namer. Njeni dragulji in polna mošnja vzbudijo Leejev pohlep in s hlinjenim sočutjem ustreže njeni prošnji; gre celo tako daleč, da dovoli na krov pripeljati señorin najljubši konj.
Komaj ladja zapluje na odprto morje, že v spanju zabodejo gospejine služabnike, Lee pa razbije vrata njene kabine. Ko spozna njegovo namero, se mu izmuzne, spleza na ladijsko ograjo in skoči v morje, saj raje žrtvuje življenje kakor čast; ladja pa pluje dalje. V bednem maščevanju, ker se mu je plen tako izmaknil, pirat ukaže vreči čudovitega belega konja čez krov. Žival predirljivo zarezgeta; glas se zdi, kakor da sega vse do obzorja, in ni podoben ničemur, kar so kdaj slišali. Toda Lee se pretvarja, da je ob kockanju in pijančevanju vse to pozabil. V prepiru zaradi delitve plena zabode enega svojih mož in ga vrže čez krov. Kmalu roparji prispejo na Block Island, kjer pod okriljem noči odnesejo naropano blago na obalo in ga skrijejo v jame in votline, nekaj zlata pa prihranijo, da si kupijo dobrodošlico pri roparjih brodolomov. Tu leto dni živijo, kockajo in popivajo. Ker je njihova ladja razglašena za piratsko, jo prepustijo toku, da bi zavedli zasledovalce.
Neke noči na morskem obzorju zagledajo rdečkasto zvezdo in malopridneži prekinejo veseljačenje, da bi si jo ogledali, saj se naglo veča. Hiti proti njim in zdaj že razločijo, da je ladja — njihova ladja, ovita v plamene. Ustavi se pred obalo in iz morja ob njenem premcu vznikne nekaj belega, za kar sprva menijo, da je greben vala, ki se vali na peščino; toda ne razblini se kakor lomljivi valovi: drvi naprej, vzpne se na strmo obalo — mlečno bel konj je, ki prigalopira k možem, ti pa se v sebi sprašujejo, ali je to privid od pijače, in srepo zre v Leeja. Zdi se, da ga je obšel urok, in ker se mu ne more upreti, razbojnik zajaha žival. Ta oddrvi proč, prha in se vzpenja, vse do najvišje pečine, od koder Lee v soju goreče ladje uzre trupla vseh, ki jim je vzel življenje, kako mu skozi pordečele valove strmijo v oči.
Ob zori se konj pogrezne pod njim in Lee ostane tam sam. Od tiste ure ga zapustijo celo njegovi tovariši. Bojijo se, da bi jih doletelo njegovo prekletstvo. Tava po otoku, strt, nesrečen človek, ki mu ni do življenja, a se boji smrti; nihče mu ne ponudi zavetja ali prijateljstva, na celino pa ne more, saj ga noben čoln noče vzeti na krov. Po letu dni takšnega životarjenja se ladja vrne, iz globin se dvigne prikazenski konj in znova terja Leeja za jezdeca. Lee ga zajaha; žival oddrvi k pečini, vendar se tokrat na robu ne ustavi: z grozljivim skokom poleti čez rob in pade v morje. Med dirjanjem se odriva od vrhov valov in obkroži gorečo ladjo; v peklenski svetlobi, ki preplavlja zrak in prodira vse do morskega dna, pirat znova zagleda svoje žrtve, ki z nasmehi zrejo navzgor in širijo roke, da bi ga objele.
Ko se konj nenadoma ustavi, se razleže krik groze; nato se zasliši grgranje in konj z jezdecem izgine. Goreča ladja izgine in noč je temna.
Izvirnik
162 The Buccaneer
Naslednje strani prikazujejo izvirno besedilo za primerjavo.
Among the natives of Block Island was a man named Lee. Born in the last century among fishermen and wreckers, he has naturally taken to the sea for a livelihood, and, never having known the influences of education and refinement, he is rude and imperious in manner. His ship lies in a Spanish port fitting for sea, but not with freight, for, tired of peaceful trading, Lee is equipping his vessel as a privateer. A Spanish lady who has just been bereaved of her husband comes to him to ask a passage to America, for she has no suspicion of his intent. Her jewels and well-filled purse arouse Lee's cupidity, and with pretended sympathy he accedes to her request, even going so far as to allow Senora's favorite horse to be brought aboard.
Hardly is the ship in deep water before the lady's servants are stabbed in their sleep and Lee smashes in the door of her cabin. Realizing his purpose, and preferring to sacrifice life to honor, she eludes him, climbs the rail, and leaps into the sea, while the ship ploughs on. As a poor revenge for being thus balked of his prey the pirate has the beautiful white horse flung overboard, the animal shrilling a neigh that seems to reach to the horizon, and is like nothing ever heard before. But these things he affects to forget in dice and drinking. In a dispute over a division of plunder Lee stabs one of his men and tosses him overboard. Soon the rovers come to Block Island, where, under cover of night, they carry ashore their stealings to hide them in pits and caves, reserving enough gold to buy a welcome from the wreckers, and here they live for a year, gaming and carousing. Their ship has been reported as a pirate and to baffle search it is set adrift.
One night a ruddy star is seen on the sea-verge and the ruffians leave their revelling to look at it, for it is growing into sight fast. It speeds toward them and they can now see that it is a ship--their shipwrapped in flames. It stops off shore, and out of the ocean at its prow emerges something white that they say at first is a wave-crest rolling upon the sands; but it does not dissolve as breakers do: it rushes on; it scales the bluff it is a milk-white horse, that gallops to the men, who inly wonder if this is an alcoholic vision, and glares at Lee. A spell seems to be laid on him, and, unable to resist it, the buccaneer mounts the animal. It rushes away, snorting and plunging, to the highest bluff, whence Lee beholds, in the light of the burning ship, the bodies of all who have been done to death by him, staring into his eyes through the reddening waves.
At dawn the horse sinks under him and he stands there alone. From that hour even his companions desert him. They fear to share his curse. He wanders about the island, a broken, miserable man, unwilling to live, afraid to die, refused shelter and friendship, and unable to reach the mainland, for no boat will give him passage. After a year of this existence the ship returns, the spectre horse rises from the deep and claims Lee again for a rider. He mounts; the animal speeds away to the cliff, but does not pause at the brink this time: with a sickening jump and fall he goes into the sea. Spurning the wave-tops in his flight he makes a circuit of the burning ship, and in the hellish light, that fills the air and penetrates to the ocean bottom, the pirate sees again his victims looking up with smiles and arms spread to embrace him.
There is a cry of terror as the steed stops short; then a gurgle, and horse and rider have disappeared. The fire ship vanishes and the night is dark.
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